CUET 2023 exam centres outside state; Jammu and Kashmir students ask union education minister, LG to intervene

NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir students association has asked the union education minister and lieutenant governor to intervene and ensure that the Common University Entrance Test Understand (CUET UG) 2023 exam centers are set up within Jammu and Kashmir, instead of in different parts of India.

In a statement issued by the association, the national convenor, Nasir Khuehami, has said that the decision of the National Testing Agency (NTA) to allocate CUET UG exam centres outside of Jammu and Kashmir has left hundreds of students in a state of despair.

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Expressing concern, he further added that this decision has had a particularly harsh impact on students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds who are already struggling with the challenges of preparing for this highly competitive entrance test.

Khuehami has also highlighted that many of the CUET UG aspirants come from impoverished families, and travelling to CUET exam centres outside Jammu and Kashmir will be difficult for them to afford the expenses of traveling.

Calling on the exam authority to fulfill its promise to conduct the exam in the given centers without any further delays or inconvenience, the students association said: “It is unfair to place this additional burden on students who are already facing so many challenges in their pursuit of higher education. These students deserve equal opportunities to compete in the entrance test and access to education, regardless of their financial circumstances.”

National General Secretary for Communication Faizan Peer and Provisional Coordinator Tanzila Hassan have also urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure that the exam centers for these students are established within Jammu and Kashmir. They have highlighted that hundreds of students might be unable to attend the examination at their allotted centers, and this unfortunate circumstance could potentially jeopardize an entire year of academic progress for them.